Stupidity and property rights

A bit belatedly, I’ve noticed that the esteemed Brian “Hurricane” Noggle weighed in on flood plain development. For the record, I believe the farmers have every right to sell their land to developers, as well. Said developers also have the right to build their monuments to shortsightedness. No one, though, has the right to constrain the river in a manner that endangers the lives of those upstream. Even if the levees are already there or the impact is negligible, how can it be reasonable to seek public assistance for recovering from “acts of God” when the the signs advertising the coming show of divine power were posted before we even moved into the neighborhood? Defy Mother Nature all you want, but on your own dime.